Coronavirus: will we learn from it?

As soon as the corona pandemic banned residents and tourists from the streets of the Italian lagoon city of Venice, the canals became crystal clear and full of fish. Nature seems to recover quickly from the consequences of mass tourism. However, not all waters will be able to regenerate in such a short time. The Mediterranean is one of the most polluted waters on earth and the coast of Venice is only one of many popular destinations on the Mediterranean. Along with the tourists comes plastic waste.

In April 2019, a sperm whale was washed up on the Italian coast, in whose stomach 22 kilos of plastic waste was found, according to the WWF. But also, small marine animals are affected because the plastic decomposes into tiny particles in the water. Although the plastic waste shreds over the years, it is not biodegradable and can never completely dissolve. The so-called microplastics are not only absorbed by fish and turtles, but also enter the human food chain through them. It is not yet possible to predict what effects microplastics will have on human health.

Especially in the summer months, countless tourists populate the Mediterranean coast – often as many as coastal residents. The wastewater from hotels, oil pollution from motorboats and sun cream residues pollute the Mediterranean Sea. The most urgent problem, however, is the plastic waste that the tourists leave behind. Plastic waste comes mainly from Spain, Turkey, France, Italy, and Egypt.

Some people hope that the coronavirus will help with the overtourism. Experts are not so optimistic. They suppose people will come back to their habits when it comes to tourism, as was proven in history.

Following the first oil shock, the 1973-1974 crisis had also blocked the flow, but it picked up again immediately afterward. In addition, we now have increasingly distant tourist flows, which was not necessarily the case before. This is a phenomenon that will be put on hold for a while, but which will resume fairly quickly. On the other hand, the “positive” aspect of this crisis is that pollution flows have been considerably reduced, both for air and car mobility.” Let’s hope for more positive change in the people’s attitude!

photo: Unsplash